2. Manage Your Gifts

2. Manage Your Gifts
You need to know what your gifts are so you can contribute to the world.

You need to manage your gifts effectively if you are to accomplish your prime objective. You also need to be aware of how your gifts affect others. You must consider the cost of not using your gifts and failing to meet your prime objective.

Olympic coaches focus on what is best in an athlete and minimize his weaknesses. Leveraging what is already working is much more effective than trying to make yourself into something that you’re not. Improving what you are good at is a better use of time and energy than trying to improve what you are not good at. Realize that every gift has a downside as well as an upside, and learning to manage both will help you become more than you already are. Some gifts have enormous downsides and if you are not aware of them, you will create a lot of problems. The most effective managers know how to maximize the strengths of his team members while finding creative ways to work around their weaknesses.

People don’t manage their gifts effectively because of three things: First, they think that if something comes easily it can’t be that valuable. Just because something comes naturally and easily to you doesn’t mean it isn’t special and valuable. Second, they feel it is inappropriate to draw attention to themselves and their abilities. Most of us have been raised to undervalue our gifts. Some people see their gift as a curse and try to deny it or leave it unused. You need to learn how to respect your gifts while still remaining humble and thankful. Third, they see their gifts as provoking envy in other people.

Take time to write down your gifts and analyze the assets and liabilities attached to those gifts. Here are some tips to help you manage and leverage your gifts: First, you can have more than one gift, and there really isn’t any limit to the number of gifts you can have. Second, you need to take responsibility for your gifts and the impact they have on others. Third, just because we can do something well, doesn’t mean we should do it.